A delegation representing coding bootcamp Northcoders this morning opened the London Stock Exchange.
The honour came about after it was was named Business of the Year at the 15th Annual Chamber Business Awards which took place in November. The team also won the Education and Business Partnership category at the same awards.
Chris Hill and Amul Batra, both directors of Northcoders, were joined by a host of supporters at the event including Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester; Darren Earnshaw, Technology Director at Barclays Ventures; Tim Griggs, Associate Director at Arup; Emer Coleman, Technology Engagement at Co-op Digital; and Joseph Venables, Head of Business Development at Bruntwood SciTech. Several graduates from Northcoders’ courses as well as representatives from some of the firm’s hiring partners – including ThoughtWorks – also travelled to London.
After starting trading for the day, the British Chambers of Commerce hosted a breakfast reception where Andy Burnham and Amul Batra spoke. Northcoders also used the event to detail two new initiatives that aim to encourage more women to pursue a career in tech. The first is a new scholarship programme for women with global technology consultancy ThoughtWorks; and the second is the launch of a number of accessibility places with InnovateHer – a Liverpool based organisation that works to empower girls and tackle inequality in tech. Adam Marshall – Director General of the British Chambers Of Commerce – also officially launched the 16th Annual Chamber Business Awards.
Amul Batra, Director at Northcoders, said: “We felt proud beyond words to be named Business of the Year by the Chamber. Being recognised in this way encouraged us to reflect on our successes so far in helping the North to thrive and in helping individual people to change their lives. To be able to celebrate that by opening the London Stock Exchange with our supporters, including Andy, representatives from our hiring partners and our talented graduates was a real honour.”
